In 2013, the NFL introduced the legal tampering period: the three-day window leading up to free agency allowed players about to hit the open market to enter contract negotiations with all of the league’s clubs, not just the ones still holding their rights until the official start of the new league year. The goal of creating this window was to crack down on illegal tampering taking place — and it looks as if it had another effect as well.
Contracts get negotiated in a record time now, with the four-year, $66 million dollar deal signed by Trent Brown as the latest example.